Wireless service providers typically design a wireless network to define a number of partially-overlapping or fully-overlapping wireless coverage areas on various frequencies. As a wireless communication device (WCD) that is subscribed to the wireless service provider moves about, the wireless network may hand off the WCD from one wireless coverage area to another. A goal of performing these handoffs is to provide a substantially continuous wireless coverage to the WCD, so that any communication sessions conducted by the WCD are not dropped or degraded due to loss of wireless coverage.
However, it is not economically feasible for any given wireless service provider to deploy perfect wireless coverage. Thus, wireless service providers often partner with other wireless service providers to form roaming agreements. According to these roaming agreements, when a wireless service provider cannot provide a reasonable wireless coverage to a WCD, the WCD may instead be served by one of the wireless service provider's roaming partners. Consequently, the roaming partner provides wireless service for the WCD for a period of time, typically until the wireless service provider can once again provide a reasonable wireless coverage to the WCD.
While roaming agreements may result in a better overall wireless coverage for WCDs, and therefore a better experience for WCD users, there are drawbacks to letting a WCD roam. One such drawback is that, while roaming, the WCD may not have access to applications and services offered by the wireless service provider. Another drawback to roaming is that the roaming partner may charge the wireless service provider a fee for each unit of time, unit of data, or transaction that the roaming partner serves a roaming WCD. Other drawbacks may exist as well.